Memories of a Decision
by mcanna
Summary: If someone makes a decison that concerns you, you will have to react. If you make a decision that concerns them, they will have to react.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Seattle October 2004**

Meredith is looking at the departure board. Why did this happen to her? What did she do to deserve faith being so cruel? Her whole life has felt like she is on the non chosen side. Her mother had chosen work over her own daughter. Her father had chosen a new family. Her boyfriend had chosen his wife. When was she to choose instead of react? The flight is called and she grabs her carry-on and walks to the gate.

Derek is looking around the hospital for Meredith. He wants to check on her and see if she is alright. He is not, after a sleepless night. Addison is happy and tries to seduce him to celebrate their reunion but he doesn't feel like there is anything to celebrate. At lunch he passes the interns table and everyone there sends him evil glares. No Meredith there either. It is at the end of the shift he first hears his new nickname Mc Bastard married to Mc Bitch. Cristina doesn't even look embarrassed when he catches her saying it. The next day is worse and still no Meredith. The third day he requests her from Dr Bailey but he only gets a glare and gets Dr Yang instead. During surgery he finally learns that Meredith has transferred but only Dr Webber knows where to. Not even Cristina knows and she doesn't hide her agitation against him. They almost loose their patient due to his loss of concentration and he is in a very low mode afterwards. Addison meets him after surgery in a very happy mode due to the same news about Meredith. He can't stand Addison and stays in an on-call room that night.

**New York October 2004**

Mt Sinai has one of the best neurosurgical departments in the country and she has got a transfer with only a couple of months left of her internship. Sometimes it is a benefit to be the daughter of a legend, Dr Ellis Grey. Meredith steps out from Human Resources with her new badge and a crisp white lab coat. They both read Dr Meredith Harrington and she will make a point of been referred to as Dr Harrington. She doesn't want anyone to connect her with her mother, the legend, so she uses her mother's maiden name instead of Grey. The new name will also make it more difficult for any of the Seattle staff to find her.

Dr Melissa Jameson, a fifth year resident, is called the general, who unsurprisingly specializes in general surgery. She has three interns plus Meredith; there is John who wants to go into plastics, Laura who wants trauma and Michael who wants ortho. The hospital is similar to Seattle Grace Hospital when it comes to departments but it is a lot larger in size and staff. On her first day she is put on scut to learn about the hospital, the second day is in the pit but from day three she is back in the OR again.

She rents a room close to the hospital but only uses it for sleeping and spends as many hours as possible in the OR. The hospital policy requests that she register one hundred hours in five different specialties and two hundred hours in the rest, combined time in the OR. She has the option of choosing and it makes her think that finally it is her turn to make choices.

When summer comes and the results from the intern exam are published she is number one in the hospital and on the top-ten list in the country. She gets offers from different hospitals around the country to do her residency with them. Dr Webber from Seattle Grace even calls her asking her to return to them but she declines gracefully and stays at Mt Sinai to do her residency and hopefully her fellowship. Her resident, the general, invites Meredith and her fellow interns out to celebrate since the four of them were all amongst the top ten in the hospital.

The five of them are at the bar across from the hospital. It has the feel of Joe's but not as homey. She misses drinking tequila with her Seattle friends so, to celebrate her results and drown her memories, she orders shots of tequila. Her fellow co-workers stare at the tiny woman downing shot followed by shot. They has only seen her drinking light-beer or wine before.

"Hold it Meredith" John says "we're here to celebrate not to empty the bar."  
"Shut up"  
He signals to the bartender for coffee. When the cup arrives she pushes it away.

"I thought we were here to celebrate" she glares at him.

A long blond man slides down on the stool beside her.

"Hi, is this seat taken?"

"Yeah, by an ass" she replies without giving him a look.

John's gasp is heard from her other side. She turns to him and asks

"What?"  
He leans in and whispers in her ear.  
"That is Mark Sloan, Dr Mark Sloan. He is the plastic God."

She turns and looks at Mark who is nursing his drink.

"Are you the guy that slept with your best friend's wife?"

He almost drops his glass and chokes on this drink, as does John.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Meredith."

"The dirty mistress?"

"Yeah, you could say that, but I didn't know he was married until she told me."

The general returns from the bathroom, stops behind Meredith and snarls at Mark.

"Stop hitting on my intern, Mark. She is not for you to man-whore around."

She turns and speaks to Meredith.  
"That man is the biggest man-whore on the east coast. He slept with my sister in-law and almost broke their marriage. Don't ever go there, he is dirt."

"Melissa Jameson, stop back talking me. I'm sitting right here and Meredith already knows that I slept with Addison."

"You do? How?" Melissa asks.

"We are the dirty mistresses" Meredith answers, with a giggle. Then she connects the dots.

"Oh my, you must be one of Derek's sisters… But you have another surname?"

"Are you the slutty intern my brother dated in Seattle?"

"I'm not the slutty intern. I'm the best intern." She states before continuing. "He pursued me into dating him… and when Addison arrived I asked him to choose… and left Seattle when he picked Addison."

Melissa just stares at her and then tells her to stay away from Mark. That he is no good for her. Meredith just grabs his drink and downs it.

"Yuck, you have the same taste as Derek."

"Yeah, we always had the same taste" he whispered seductively into her ear.

She looks at him and thinks, what the hell, he looks hot and she wants to forget so why not.

"Do you want to leave?" she asks grabbing her purse.

He only needs a second to decide and gives her a smirk before taking her hand and ushering her out of the bar.

During the following years Mark and Meredith become best friends with benefits. Neither wants to commit to the other and seeks other partners from time to time. Meredith excels in neurosurgery and starts a trial to cure inoperable tumors. Dr Melissa Jameson becomes one of her best friends together with her fellow interns John, Laura and Michael.

**Seattle March 2009**

Derek is late for his flight and runs for the gate. He makes it as the last passenger and slips into his first-class seat. The consult is last minute and he knows that the moment he leaves the plane he will have to spring into action. The patient is young and the tumor is growing fast. He sighs and leans back into the seat.

**New York March 2009**

The night after Meredith's first successful surgery Mark is waiting for her in the hospital lobby to take her out for celebrations. He is sitting close to the elevators when he sees ha familiar man walking in the main doors. The man he hasn't seen since he got caught in said man's bed with the wife, Addison.

Derek walks into the once familiar lobby feeling a little strange. He hasn't been back since he moved to Seattle. Looking around he sees Mark sitting by the elevator looking as if he is waiting for someone. Knowing him he guesses it is one of the nurses. He hesitates for a second before turning professional and walks up to the elevators. He pushes the button for going up before turning to look straight at Mark nodding and turning back towards the doors.  
"Good evening Dr Shepherd" Mark says.

"Good evening Dr Sloan" Derek replies.

"Are you here on a consult?"

"The chief asked for a consult. Are you waiting for someone?"  
"Yeah, my dinner date" Mark says with a smile.

"Are there still nurses here who you can pursue to dates?"  
"Yeah, a few, but this is a resident, a neurosurgeon."  
"Even the intelligent ones can have a flaw."  
The elevator signals its arrivals and while the door opens Derek gives Mark a last look and says.

"See you around Dr Sloan" and turns back to walk in.

Meredith is leaving for the night after giving her intern and resident in charge instructions about her trial patient. When the door to the elevator opens she can see Mark talking to a man who looks familiar. She sneaks behind the man as he turns and enters the elevator.

Derek looks out into the lobby while waiting for the door to close. He can see a petit woman snuggling up to Mark and the smile Mark gives her before giving her a light kiss. There is something very familiar about the woman that nags him on the ride up to his patient. At the nurses station he can hear two doctors talking about Dr Harrington's latest trial patient and the so far success. He would really like to meet this mysterious doctor who doesn't attend any medical conferences or appear on any picture in any interviews done with her. There have been a lot of articles in different medical journals of her success story but so far no picture.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Meredith is waking up as her pager goes off at four am. She pushes Mark's arm away and leaves her pillow for him to cuddle instead of her. They have celebrated her first successful surgery several times in several different places and ways. She likes Mark a lot as a friend and they are good in bed but she doesn't have the feeling for him that makes her want to commit to him. They have their own apartments and spend nights in either one whenever they want a booty call. She stumbles into the shower for a quick wash up and when she exits, Mark is waiting in the kitchen with a travel cup of coffee. She gives him a kiss as thank you and is on her way to her patient in less than fifteen minutes.

Derek wakes up early as usual and since he can't go fishing he takes for a run before getting ready to go to work. At the elevator in the hospital lobby he meets Mark.  
"You are here early, didn't the date go well or did she throw you out?"  
"She got called in to her patient and I'm bringing her breakfast before her next trial patient."  
"Trial patient?" Derek asks as they enter the elevator.  
"Yeah, she is doing her next patient this afternoon and I know she will be fiddling with her virus the whole morning to make it perfect."  
"Who is this doctor? Is it Dr Harrington? I know that she works here with a trial on virus injections into inoperable tumors."  
"Yes, have you read her articles?"  
"Yeah, they are brilliant. I would really like to meet her."  
"I could maybe sneak you into the gallery this afternoon, Derek."  
"Thank you Mark" Derek answers as the door opens.  
"Would you like to have lunch… with me… and talk?"  
"Yeah… sure… lunch… with you… and talk"  
"I'll be in the cafeteria around twelve."

Mark walks towards the back regions of the surgical floor and Derek heads for the locker room to change. It has felt good to talk to Mark again and he is smiling entering the room.  
"Hi brother" his sister Melissa says. "What brings you here?"  
"Lissy" he hugs her and starts to change. "Chief called for a consult."  
"Where is Addison, did she come with you?"  
"She is in LA" he replies shortly.  
"Is she on a consult?"  
"No, she works there with Naomi in a private health care centre."  
"What happened Derek? Why haven't you called?"  
"We got a divorce six months ago and I have not told anyone yet."  
"Why?"  
"Because I didn't want to disappoint you and I also really believed that Addison would have told Nancy."  
"But why did you get a divorce?"  
"I don't love her. I have only stayed in this marriage out of obligations. I fell in love after moving to Seattle but I made the wrong choice. I picked Addison and Meredith left Seattle. Nine months ago Addison and I both came to the decision to part in a friendly divorce instead of starting to hate each other."  
"When are you going to tell mum?"  
"I have to do it before her birthday celebration this coming weekend. I met Mark yesterday and earlier today and I really miss him Lissy. Do you think I should ask Mark to come to the birthday party?  
"Yes, if you don't feel awkward about it. I know that he talks to mum on the phone from time to time. Mum would be thrilled"  
"I'll ask him at lunch. Maybe he even brings Dr Harrington."  
She stares at him with horror in her eyes.  
"Oh, I don't believe Dr Harrington would come to a family gathering. She is not really into families."  
"Why? How would you know?"  
"Because she is my friend and I was her resident when she was an intern."  
"You were? I really want to meet her. She has amazing ideas about neurosurgeries."  
"Yes, she always has had that. Did you know that she was the best intern this hospital has ever had? You and I included and that she made it to the top-ten list in the country?"

Meredith is staring at the laptop lost in thoughts when Mark knocks and enters her little cubicle.  
"Here you are, breakfast time."  
"Ugh?"  
"Meredith, it is time to eat. You have to take a short break or you won't make it through surgery."  
She looks at him as he walks over to her chair and picks her up before reseating himself into the chair with her in his lap. She snuggles into his chest and he breathes her in.  
"I met an old friend yesterday evening and again this morning" he says and continues. "We are having lunch together but I plan to watch your surgery this afternoon."  
"OK" she whispers almost sleeping.  
He looks down at her and decides to take fifteen minutes break before heading off to his consult. She needs it after all the celebration they did instead of sleeping last night.

Mark is late for lunch and finds Derek at a corner table with a salad on his tray. Mark drops his own salad box on the table and sits down across from him.  
"Hi"  
"Hi" Derek answers with a nervous smile.  
"Can we clear the air and then start over?"  
Derek nods an agreement and Mark continues.  
"I'm so very sorry for what I did to you. I was in love with Addison and had been since before your wedding. It is not an excuse just a reason. You were absent and she was sad and I was there for her and that is also a reason and no excuse. There is no excuse and I still regret it. It made me lose my best friend and the woman I loved and it was not worth it.  
"Addison and I are divorced since more than six month and I have not told mum yet. I told Melissa this morning. Our divorce was friendly and she has moved to LA. Your betrayal hurt in more ways than one. Addison hurt me by having sex with another man. You hurt me by having sex with Addison but it hurt more to loose my best friend."  
"Sappy Shepherd and I am sorry for you having a divorce and every part that I have in it."  
"Thank you and I'm not sappy."  
"You have always been sappy."  
They both fell back into their old banter and finished their meal.  
"Mark, you know mum will be seventy this weekend?"  
"Yes"  
"There will be a celebration at the house this Saturday and she would be really happy if you would come. You can bring a date if you want."  
"Thank you Derek, I would really like to be there. I might bring a date if I can pursue her."  
"The mysterious Dr Harrington? "  
"Yeah" he answers with a smile.  
"How long have you been dating?"  
"We have never dated, we are friends with benefits and she has been my best friend for years."  
"Is she doing the surgery today?"  
"Yeah, we should go if we want a seat. She is a good teacher and the interns usually hog the good seats."

Meredith has had a last talk to the patient before surgery. She is in a very good mood after having a very nice talk to her last patient. The recovery is going fast forward and the page the same morning was just that the patient was waking up and had started to regain movement in a paralyzed arm and leg. She walks towards the scrub room and can hear the interns and residents taking seats in the gallery. Her third year resident that always works with her during these surgeries is scrubbing in beside her.  
"It sounds like we got a crowd today" he remarks.  
"Yeah, we are rock stars. Can you ask the nurses to play some Bruce during this surgery? The patient is a huge fan and since we have our own fan club up there we can have some fun. They walk together into the OR and Meredith is preparing the virus cocktail before turning to the patient and the gallery.

Mark and Derek are lucky to get a couple of seats that are abandoned when some pagers goes off. They have a full view and Derek can see the petit woman entering the OR with her hands in the air. She moves with grace and he feels a recognition and connection. He wishes to see her face because he is sure he has seen her before.  
"Mark, do I know her?" he asks but gets no answer. Mark is reading his pager and stands up in a hurry.  
"Burn victim in the pit, got to go. See you Saturday Shepherd" he says and leaves the gallery in a run.  
Derek looks after him before returning his focus to the surgeon in the OR. The petit surgeon is facing the gallery and says:  
"I'm Doctor Harrington and I'm pleased that so many have chosen to watch this surgery today. Let's have some fun."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Ten-blade" she says and holds her right hand out as a nurse starts Bruce Springsteen on the CD-player. Meredith moves in rhythm to the music and makes the surgery look like a dance.  
Derek feels like he's got kicked in his guts. The voice, even coming through the bad speaker system, the eyes and the petit body of Dr Harrington reminds him of Meredith, Dr Meredith Grey. He studies the part of her face that he can see above the mask and he gets more and more sure that it is his Meredith in that OR. Her movement is confident and he admires her style. The intern makes a small mistake and she reprimands him without losing momentum and the intern is allowed to continue his work with more care. Derek analyzes every word she says and compares with his memory of her. When only closing the incision is left she suddenly leaves the OR and lets the younger resident do the sutures. Derek runs out and down the stairs to meet her outside the OR but she is nowhere to be seen. He waits for a couple of minutes before taking a look at the OR-board. Mark is doing an emergency surgery on his burn victim and Meredith is noted as the neurosurgeon on the case. It is a spinal problem and he would really like to watch them but that OR doesn't have any gallery. He returns to his own patient and start making a treatment plan. Every now and then he steps out and keeps himself updated on Mark's and Meredith's surgery. At seven pm he takes a new look but the nurse is erasing their names and he asks if it's all done.  
"The patient coded and died."  
"Where are the surgeons?"  
"Oh, they left twenty minutes ago."  
"Where did they go?"  
"I heard them talk about a movie."  
It is then he realizes that Mark and Meredith are more then friends. They were, according to Mark, friends with benefits. He really needs to make sure that Meredith Grey and Meredith Harrington are one and the same. And if she is, why is her name Harrington and not Grey? And why is she a friend of Mark?  
Meredith is stepping out of the shower with Mark in tow. They had both needed a pick me up after losing their patient. Now the two of them feel better. Mark wraps her in a towel.  
"Meredith, I need to do a family thing on Saturday and I would like you to come."  
"What, you know I don't family things."  
"Yeah, but I need you to be there because some of the other guests will be mad at me and I need more people on my side."  
"Why are you even going if people will get mad at you being there?"  
"Because, I want to honor the woman who is celebrating her birthday and she would be thrilled to see me and meet you."  
"It is not like girlfriend meet boyfriend's parents?"  
"We are not boyfriend girlfriend, we are friends with benefit."  
"OK, I'll come as long as I'm not introduced as your girlfriend but as your friend."  
"You are?" He looks thrilled and a little chocked at her response to agree.  
"Do I have to bring a gift?"  
"No, I'll take care of that."  
"What will you get her?"  
"A spa-treatment at a hotel in the wine county."  
"She must really mean a lot to you."  
"She was my first love."  
"Oh"  
"Carolyn is turning seventy" he says and unwraps her towel to let his hands roam her body. He lifts her onto the counter and places himself between her legs kissing her deeply. Meredith pulls out a condom from the box beside her.

Derek has not seen either Mark or Meredith on Friday. He is in surgery for eight hours and afterwards he has to go and see his mother and tell her about Addison and their divorce. He arrives at his mother's house around dinner time, to the house he grew up in. The house is like a safe harbor and he has a smile on his face when his mother opens the door.  
"Hi mum" he wraps his arms around Carolyn Shepherd.

Saturday morning begins with a birthday celebration at breakfast. Derek and his sisters spends some time together honoring their mother. At the end of breakfast Derek tells them all about the divorce. They can all accept it except Nancy who is a close friend of Addison and a little mad at both her brother and his ex-wife. The former for divorcing Addison and making her lose a sister in-law and the later for not telling her even though they spoken multiple times the last six months.

When Meredith and Mark arrive at the house they have to park several houses down the street due to all the cars on the street. People are wandering to and from a large white house with charcoal trimmings, a blue door and window shutters.  
"Your Carolyn seems very popular" Meredith comments.  
"Yeah, and the family is very large as well. She has four daughters and a son. Everyone but the son is married and they have given her 14 grandchildren. Her husband was Irish as well as her and they both have lots of siblings with a lot of children and grandchildren."  
"I'm glad I don't have to learn the name of them all."  
"You alre… " Mark gets cut off by a dark haired woman throwing herself around his neck crying.  
"Mark, I never thought I'll see you again."  
Mark gives Meredith an apologizing smile while hugging the woman.  
"Jenny, it is nice to see you too."  
Two older women join them. The older one of them gives Mark a hug while the second one stares at him.  
"Hello Kathy and Nancy"  
"What are you doing here?" Nancy spits out.  
"I am invited."  
"Does mum know that you're coming?" Nancy asks.  
"No, I'm a surprise."  
Jenny and Kathy have been studying Meredith who is looking at them all, standing just three steps away.  
"You brought a girl. Introduce us" Jenny demands.  
Mark reaches out for her but she doesn't take his hand but keep studying the women. They all have stunning blue eyes with dark brown, almost black hair. Their features reminds her of someone she can't place. He makes the introduction.  
"This is my friend Dr Meredith Harrington. Meredith these women are Carolyn's daughters Kathryn Matthews, Nancy Johnson and Jennifer Wood."  
They each offer her a handshake and she gives them a polite smile. Nancy seems hostile but the other two are curious but nice.  
"Let's go inside and surprise mum" Jenny says with a big smile.  
Mark wraps his arm around Meredith's waist walking up the steps to the open front door. There are people everywhere mingling on the wraparound porch eating, talking and laughing. They all push through into the large living room. Children's voices are heard from the basement and a couple of kids are running through the backdoor. She can see someone manning a large barbeque out there and some kind of ballgame being played in the yard. Jenny who got in first is now pulling an older version of herself into the room.  
"Mum, you need to see who is here. Hurry, you won't believe it."  
Mark has stopped in his track just looking with such love at the older woman that Meredith understands the importance this woman has in Mark's life. The woman looks at him stunned before opening her arms to embrace him.  
"Mark"  
"Happy Birthday Mum, I missed you so much. I'm so sorry for all the problems I caused you" he whispers into her hair hugging her tightly.  
"You look well" she says with a warm smile taking a step back but still holding on to him.  
"You look stunning, mum."  
"Don't wait this long for your next visit or I'll hunt you down."  
"I won't mum. I would like to introduce my friend to you" he turns towards Meredith and reaches for her. "Mum this is my friend Meredith Harrington who works with me and Melissa at the hospital. Meredith, this is the woman who raised me, my mum, Mrs. Carolyn…"  
"Shepherd" Meredith adds the surname after finally adding all the bits and pieces together; Derek saying outside his trailer that he had four sisters and fourteen nieces and nephews, Mark telling her that Carolyn had four daughters and a son and fourteen grandchildren, Melissa Jameson who is a sister to Derek and the three other sisters looking familiar, Mark being Derek's best friend since childhood, Mark being away from here for a long time, Mark telling her that he met an old friend a couple of days ago. Oh no, meeting his old friend, does that mean that Derek is here? He would be, with Addison. It is his mother's birthday. She has to get out of here before disaster strikes. Everyone is looking at her, she realizes, before she collects herself enough to greet Mrs. Shepherd.  
"Happy Birthday Mrs. Shepherd, it is very nice to meet the woman who means so much to Mark."  
"It is nice that he finally came home again and brought a girl with him" Carolyn smiles at her while giving her a hug.  
A loud voice is heard from the back door.  
"Jenny, I'm out of bread and burgers. You were supposed to bring me more!"  
A man with dark brown hair and stunning blue eyes looks into the den and sees his whole family except Lissy there. He next notices the petit woman with dirty blonde hair and large green eyes starring at him.  
"Meredith" he whispers "Meredith, you are here" he says a little louder.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Meredith hears Derek's voice for the first time in more than five years. She feels like she is punched in her stomach and has trouble breathing. When she can breathe again she bolts from the room and pushes through the crowd on the porch ignoring the shouts behind her. She can hear Mark and Derek yelling her name until she turns into a small opening between two properties down the road. When she turns away from the Shepherd house along the garden of one property she hears how an old man calls for her.  
"Miss, what's the hurry? You look like you've seen a ghost."  
"Excuse me sir, but I have."  
"Would you like to have a glass of lemonade and talk about it?"  
She looks at the old man and feels like she can trust him. He is at least eighty-five years old and can't harm anyone. She wouldn't be surprised if he is the extra grandpa the children around the block always go to.  
"Thank you very much sir. It would be very kind of you sir."  
"Call me Doc Walker."  
"I'm Meredith Harrington Grey, also a doctor."  
"Mary!" he calls out. "Come out here and bring some lemonade. We got a visitor."  
Meredith takes a seat under the pear-tree and looks out over the view. It is gorgeous and very serene. A lady of Doc Walker's age comes carrying a tray with three glasses and a pitcher full of lemonade with real lemons in it. Meredith stands up in haste and helps the woman with the tray.  
"This is my wife Mary Walker, Mary this is Dr Meredith Grey."  
"I'm sorry Doc Walker but I'm Dr Harrington not Dr Grey. Dr Grey was my mother but please call me Meredith."  
"Please call us Doc and Mary."  
Mary is serving them a glass of lemonade.  
"Thank you Mary" Meredith says and closes her eyes in pleasure as the tart drink slides down her throat.  
"Dr Grey you said. Is Dr Ellis Grey your mother?"  
"Yes she was. She died a couple of years ago."  
"Oh I'm sorry for your loss."  
"Thank you, how did you know her?"  
"I was her chief of surgery when she was an intern."  
"You were? That means you had Dr Richard Webber as well as an intern?"  
"Yes, it was times, wonderful but stressful times. Your mother became an excellent surgeon and now when I think back memory lane I remember her being Dr Harrington until she married. What kind of doctor are you?"  
"I'm a neurosurgeon at Mt Sinai and will do my fellowship next year." Meredith says.  
"Isn't it at Mt Sinai Carolyn Shepherds son did his fellowship in neurosurgery?" Doc asks Mary.  
"Yes it is. Do you know Dr Derek Shepherd, Meredith?" Mary asks.  
She sits silent for a while before answering.  
"I know of him since I started my internship at Seattle Grace Hospital where his is head of neurosurgery and was my boss. Today I was coming here with Dr Mark Sloan to celebrate Mrs. Carolyn Shepherd, but I didn't know the last name and then I met Derek…" her voice trails off.  
Mary and Doc just sit there silent letting her speak in her own time.  
"Derek and I were involved, I love him, loved him." She corrects herself before continuing, "I left Seattle when Addison, Derek's wife showed up and told me he was married…and today I agreed to follow my friend to this birthday celebration and…Derek is there…of course…looking all McDreamy…and I ran. I need a cab. I need to get back to New York."  
She picks up her cell, turns it on and calls the operator and asks for a cab.  
"What address is this?"  
She repeats the instructions and looks at the Walkers while hanging up the phone.  
"Thank you for listening to my ramble and for the lovely lemonade. I promise that I am not this scary and unstable in my work. It was just a chock to see him today. They hear a honk from the front and Meredith takes her leave and sinks back into the backseat after mumbling an address in New York. The cell signals incoming messages and missed phone calls and she scrolls down the list and sees that all of them are from Mark. To make him less worried she sends a message 'I'm fine' back before turning the phone off again.

At the Shepherd house Mark and Derek are yelling at each other on the front lawn. The Shepherd sisters stare in awe at the two men. Melissa joins the crowd wondering what's happening.  
"Mark brought a friend along, a doctor from the hospital and when she sees Derek she takes off running and the two eggheads run after her but she can't be found."  
"Oh no, did Meredith agree to come? This is bad."  
"What do you know Lissy? You know something. Tell us."  
"Meredith left Seattle and started at Mt Sinai when her boyfriend's wife showed up."  
"She is the slutty intern?" Nancy asks.  
"She is not a slutty intern. She was the best in Mt Sinai her year, she even made it to the top-ten list in the country. She is right now doing a successful trial curing inoperable brain tumors. She has also been Mark's best friend during the past five years. No, they are not romantically involved, but they are friends with benefits."  
The shouting is getting louder and they turn their focus to the two former best friends.

"What the hell are you doing with Meredith?"  
"Meredith is my best friend and my co-worker."  
"Why did you bring her here?"  
"I thought I would need some people on my side meeting all the Shepherd sisters. She came because I asked her."  
"Did she know I would be here?"  
"No and why would that matter… shit…oh shit… my Meredith is your Meredith."  
"Yeah"  
"But you chose Addison and Meredith left you more than five years ago."  
"I have loved her since the day I met her."  
"You have I very strange way of showing that. Choosing to stay with Addison and ignoring Meredith."  
"I tried to honor my wedding vows."  
"What should Meredith do? Sit around and wait for a married man? She is an exceptional woman who any man would want to have."  
"Yeah, you always wanted what was mine."  
"Meredith isn't yours to have."  
"Is she yours?"  
"No, she makes her own decisions and she is my friend."  
"She was mine, first."  
"First or last has nothing to with it. She is Meredith and she decides."  
"Boys, stop it. We'll continue this later today. You should all come in."  
"No, Mark should leave."  
"No one should leave. Mark belongs to this family and he stays" Carolyn states firmly.  
The guest slowly starts talking again when the show is over and Derek stalks off towards the backyard while Mark picks up his phone and calls Meredith.

An hour later the cab driver wakes her from her sleep and she pays before stepping out. She finds a bench and sits there thinking about her life and her choices. Ferry boats are moving across the water in front of her. Several hours later a man slips down beside her and puts an arm around her shoulders. She rests her head on his shoulder and they sit there in silence looking over the water.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Meredith has spent her Sunday off doing laundry and house cleaning. Mark dropped her off after he found her in her usual thinking spot. overlooking the ferryboats. He always finds her there when she is upset. After asking for her forgiveness and receiving it he drove her home before going to his place alone. Melissa calls her in the afternoon and wants to meet for a drink at seven.

The bar across the street from the hospital has a slow evening and Meredith grabs a beer before sitting down at a table together with Melissa.  
"I'm sorry about yesterday?" Meredith says.  
"Why are you apologizing?"  
"I left your mother without saying good bye. I just ran out."  
"I would never have believed that you would even consider coming, since Derek has been working here the last couple of days on a consult."  
"I knew a consult was here but I never heard who. I was too focused on my trial."  
"That is understandable."  
"I was chocked to see him."  
"He was chocked to see you."  
"I'm glad I never met Addison."  
"She wasn't there. They are divorced."  
"They are... that's right Mark told me that on the way there... even though he forgot to tell me the names?"  
"Yeah, do you still love Derek?"  
"I don't know. He hurt me so bad when he didn't tell me that he was married and then when he first said he would sign and didn't."  
"He and Addison have not been here for any family gatherings these past five years. Derek has been here when he has had consults in the area and Addison as well. They have never been here together."  
"Why?"  
"I don't know but he told me about the divorce this week. They started divorce proceedings almost a year ago."  
"Oh"  
"Why did Derek call you Grey?"  
"My surname is Grey but I use my mother's maiden name instead."  
"Why so? Oh, are your mother the Ellis Grey, the legend of general surgery?"  
"Yeah"  
"Oh so why don't you want people to know that?"  
"I never liked my mother and people have a tendency to judge me differently when they know that I'm a Grey so I changed my name starting here."  
"Did Mark tell you about the scream off he and Derek had after you left?"  
"No, he just apologized for not remembering we being the dirty mistresses. What did the two fools do yesterday?" Meredith says and listens as Melissa tells her the story.  
John, Mike and Laura come over sitting down with them.  
"What's up? You have today off, right?"  
"We just needed to talk about boys."  
"Shall we go?" John and Mike ask.  
"No, we are finished for today." Meredith smiles at her friends.

Monday morning starts bad with Meredith's alarm not going off. She makes it just in time for her scheduled surgery. The day gets worse when her attending is on sick leave with the flue and the chief enters the scrub room telling her that he put another surgeon in charge. She just stares at him before saying."  
"Let me guess, Dr Shepherd."  
"Yes" he beams like he's done something to be complimented for. "You might learn something new."  
Derek enters the room not knowing he will have Meredith as his resident. He is met by the chief who wishes him good luck.  
"Thank you sir" Derek closes the door behind him before he sees Meredith by the sink.  
"Meredith" he says with astonishment in his voice.  
She looks up him and answers.  
"Dr Shepherd" before she leaves for the OR.  
Derek hurries through the scrubbing in and enters the OR a couple of minutes later. Meredith is busy preparing for the craniotomy, overseeing the patient being put into the halo.  
"Good morning everyone, I'm Dr Shepherd and I will be in charge today. It is a beautiful day to save life. Let's have some fun."  
He gives Meredith a look before saying.  
"You may begin the procedure Dr Grey."  
"Thank you Dr Shepherd but it is Dr Harrington."  
"You will always be Dr Grey to me."  
"I will never be anything to you. Ten-blade please."  
Derek watches as Meredith performs the surgery perfectly with just his hands as help when she needs more than two. He tries to speak with her but she only answers him with one-syllable words. It is not that she doesn't want to speak during surgery because she speaks freely with the intern and the nurses. It is just him she doesn't speak with. After the last stitch is done he follows her into the scrub room.  
"Meredith, I really want to talk to you."  
"We spoke enough five years ago. I have nothing to say to you."  
"I wanted to choose you."  
"But you picked Addison.  
"I tried to do the honorable thing."  
"Doesn't make it hurt any less."  
"I love you, you have been in my thoughts everyday since the day I first met you at Joe's."  
"How does that concern me? I live my life here in New York."  
"Have you chosen Mark?"  
"Don't go there, he is my best friend."  
"A friend with benefits."  
Meredith's right fist connects with his nose before she even knows she formed it. Derek's hand goes up protecting his face with blood dripping. The sound when the bone broke is the last sound in the room. She stares at him with fear printed in her face.  
"Sorry, I didn't know what I was doing. I'll get Mark to have a look."  
She leaves in a run leaving him there stunned and the nurses hurrying in to assess the injury. Mark is just finishing a surgery and he pulls her into his arms.  
"Mark… I broke Derek's nose… you must look at it… it is bleeding… I'm going to get fired… I hit an attending consult… what will happen to my trial…"she sobs hysterically.  
"Take it easy Meredith. You won't get fired. Did you really break his nose? I have tried to do that for years when we were younger and never succeeded. I'm impressed if you managed to do it."  
"I did"  
"Did you do a surgery?"  
"Yes"  
"Have you spoken to the next of kin?"  
"No"  
"Go do that and I'll look at Derek's nose. Wipe your tears if the surgery was successful as not to scare the people" he says giving her a quick peek on her cheek before walking into the scrub room.

Derek is surrounded by concerned nurses and Mark chuckles at the sight.  
"She really has dangerous fists. Let me have a look."  
Derek complies and Mark can easily see that the nose is broken.  
"I'll need to reposition the bone. Follow me to an exam room."  
Outside they are met by Meredith's friend Michael specializing in ortho. Mark asks him to join them.  
"What happened?" Mike asked.  
"Meredith hit him" Mark said with a chuckle "she managed to do something I tried to do for years."  
"Meredith did this? Our Meredith?"  
"Is she yours as well as Mark's?" Derek asks.  
"Don't go there Shepherd. She is not an easy one. Mike is her friend since they were interns together. Friend without benefits."  
"Sorry but I can't think straight when it comes to Meredith."  
"Why did she hit you?"  
"I said something I have no right to say about you having benefits."  
"You're right, you have nothing to say about that as long as you and Meredith are not exclusive."  
"We are nothing according to her and she is probably right."  
"Yeah, five years is probably of some kind of importance in this and you choosing Addison over her."  
"I know but I have never stopped loving her."  
"And she has never stopped loving you."  
"She hasn't?"  
"If she hadn't, me and her, we would be a couple, but she will never commit to me. I will always love her as my best friend, nothing more. Pick your poison. We need to reset your nose."  
Mike gives him a shot and Mark carefully repositions the bone and takes an x-ray to check the result before Mike puts a brace over and tapes it in place.  
"You will have to wear this brace twenty-four seven for at least two weeks and during sleep for another two weeks. You should have an x-ray confirming that it is healed before taking it off."

The chief of surgery barks through the door.  
"What happened? Did Dr Harrington do this? Is it broken? I will have a talk to her. Meet me in my office in an hour." He turns and leaves the room without listening to the doctors.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Meredith is paged to the chief's office. The nurses are having a field day gossiping, betting and ogling; a broken nose, a doctor being summoned to the chief for doing it and the same doctor being called the name of the famous legend Dr Grey. She knocks and is asked to enter. It is no one but the chief in there.  
"Dr Harrington, please tell me what happened."  
"Dr Shepherd and I have a past and he was making an inappropriate remake of my personal life with Dr Sloan. He and Dr Sloan grew up together sir. I didn't plan to hit him. I just surprised myself and I am very truly sorry."  
"Dr Shepherd will have to wear a brace for several weeks."  
"I know and I already have and will again apologize to him."  
"I will have to order you to attend ten hours of anger-management classes."  
"Yes sir, I'll sign up for my first starting today."  
When she exits the office Derek and Mark are on their way in. She looks up at Derek and says.  
"Dr Shepherd, I'm very sorry for hurting you."  
"It was my own fault Dr Grey. I was behaving like an ass."  
"Even though, I should not have hit you and I'm truly sorry."  
Mark pulls her into an embrace while Derek gives them a long look. He turns away when he sees Mark kissing her cheek. The chief is very sorry and embarrassed for the trouble Dr Harrington has caused Dr Shepherd. When he tells them that she will attend anger-management classes as a punishment neither of the two can hold back their laugh anymore.  
"You mean that you are sending Meredith to anger-management classes as a punishment?" Mark has trouble saying the words as he is laughing to hard.  
"Yes" the chief looks at him with questions in his eyes.  
"I just hope the shrink has a shrink."  
"Chief, I was an ass and she shouldn't be punished for that." Derek pleads.  
"I have to make a statement. It will never be OK for my surgeons to hit each other."  
Mark and Derek leave the chief together and Mark asks if Derek would like to join him for a drink at the bar later on. They decide to meet there at seven.

Meredith is hiding in her little cubicle for the rest of the day. She has a meeting at six to attend and leaves in good time. The meeting is held in a conference room in the basement and she sneaks in just before six having looked at the door for more than thirty minutes. Dr Wyatt is chairing the meeting and there are already seven more people in there one woman and six men. No one she recognizes. All the others seems to have been there before and look up with curious eyes.  
"Welcome" Dr Wyatt says.  
"Thank you"  
"What's your name" a big man dressed as a janitor asks and adds "I'm Stan."  
"I'm Meredith"  
"What did you do? You look like you might be able to slap a puppy but nothing larger", a woman says and introduces herself as Charlie.  
"I broke a co-workers nose."  
The other looked at her with a new kind of respect.  
"Have you been taking karate?" A guy named Dave asks.  
"No, and I don't hit people usually."  
"Why did you hit this guy?"  
"Because he was an ass and said thing about how I choose to live my life."  
"Let's talk about making choices" Dr Wyatt interferes and leads the discussion into the goal of the class.

Meredith leaves at eight and is already dreading her next meeting. She walks over to the bar to drown her sorrow in tequila and slips down on a stool by the bar and orders a couple of shots. She slams the first three without any hesitation. Derek and Mark are playing dart in the other end of the room. She studies them for a while before ordering a new set of shots. Mark sees her and walks over with Derek in tow.  
"How was the class?" he asks.  
"The worst kind of torture, I now know that I always have a choice and that I should think before doing anything. Bull. I never thought when I hit…"her eyes focus on Derek "… you. My fist connected to your nose without my knowledge. It was no choice it was as usually a reaction. I never have any choices."

Mark is flirting with someone over her shoulder and she tells him to go for the woman.  
"But remember no glove, no love."  
Derek looks at her wondering even more about her's and Mark's relationship. He sits down besides her nursing his drink watching her down three more shots.  
"Meredith, I'm so sorry for what I said."  
"I'm sorry for breaking your nose."  
"Are you happy here in New York?"  
"Yeah, no,whatever… but it'll do for now."  
"Do you have any plans?"  
"For the future you mean?"  
"Yeah"  
"I want to become the best neurosurgeon ever."  
"Where will you do your fellowship?"  
"I haven't decided yet. I have some offers but I might stay here."  
"Have Seattle made you an offer?"  
"Yeah"  
"Do you consider it?"  
"No"  
"Is it because of me?"  
"Yeah"  
"But your friends miss you."  
"No they don't. I haven't spoken to them in five years. They probably hate me for leaving with no word."  
"They speak of you every week. I overhear them sometimes, like in the cafeteria."  
"Can you tell me about them?"  
He starts telling her about Cristina going into cardio thorax, Alex into neonatal and O'Malley into trauma and that Izzy is being two years behind due to her skin-cancer treatment.  
"Izzy got cancer?" she asks with tears in her eyes.  
"Yeah, she beat the impossible odds. She had less than a five percent survival chance and now she might go into oncology."  
"They seem to have done well."  
"Yeah, but they still miss you. A lot of people miss you not only me" he confesses letting his hand stroke hers.  
She looks at his hand. She loves his hands. They fit so perfectly with her hands. She turns her hand and grabs his to hold. His fingers mesh with hers perfectly.  
"They still fit" she whispers in wonder.  
Mark steps up behind her and kisses her cheek.  
"I'm leaving if that is OK with you."  
"Yeah, sure who is the lucky girl?"  
"Uhm, it's… Laura"  
Meredith turns on her stool looking at her friend and then waves them off with a big smile.  
"Shepherd, can you make sure that she gets home safe?"  
"Yeah, sure I can." Derek answers Mark.  
Derek has not let go of her hand and she pulls it free to have a new shot.  
"I thought you and Mark was…"  
"We are just friends."  
"But doesn't it bother you when he leaves with other women?"  
"No. I would love it if he found a girl to love. I love him but not in that way. I never have and never will."  
"Do you date as Mark does?  
"No, do you?"  
"I've had some dinner dates since I divorced Addison but nothing serious."  
"Why did you divorce her?"  
"I didn't love her. I just stayed out of obligation and habit. We had a friendly divorce."  
"I'm sorry."  
"Don't be, I'm not." He looks at her lips and continues "Meredith?"  
"Yeah"  
"I miss you" he says and leans in and steals a kiss.  
Her lips are as soft as he remembers and her hair still scent of the same flowery conditioner. He looks into her eyes wanting to remember how her green eyes shimmer of lust. She leans back into another kiss, her lips part and her tongue licks his lip quickly. He gasps and pulls her closer ravishing her lips.  
"Take me for a ride, Derek" she whispers.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes, it is my choice."

In the morning he wakes up in her empty bed. A note on the pillow tells him to lock the door behind him. She is at work. He grabs a shower before leaving, enjoying her tiny bathroom that smells of her conditioner. The night had been like a dream and he wishes for more of her, for a lifetime with her. The small apartment holds a minimal amount of personal belongings. There are no pictures or knick-knacks; just some medical books on neurosurgery and medical journals on the table by the TV. In her open closet he can see a shirt and a jacket he believes belongs to Mark but not more then a change of clothes. He leaves after a last look trying to memorize how she lives.

When he arrives at the hospital she is in surgery and he does a final check on his patient before looking for Mark. He finds Mark having eye sex with the pretty girl from last night. He says good bye and visits the gallery to see how far Meredith's surgery is. It is several hours left and he finally decides to use the intercom for a last word.  
The income buzz in the OR and Meredith looks up into the gallery wondering what's happening. She can see Derek waving to her.  
"Turn on the intercom, please" she asks the nurse.  
"Yes Dr Shepherd" she says with a quick look at him.  
"Dr Grey, I'm leaving for Seattle and just want to say good bye."  
"Good bye Dr Shepherd."  
"Will you reconsider the offer?"  
"I don't know."  
"Can I call you?"  
"I'll call you" she answers not looking up again.  
"Bye Meredith" he whispers softly before turning off the intercom.  
When she sees him leaving the gallery she whispers.  
"Bye Derek" a tear sliding down her face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Seattle March 2009  
**

Derek arrives back to the hospital after seven days in New York. He wonders how he will stand being in Seattle when he knows that Meredith lives in New York. The loss feels like a physical pain. Their night together is haunting him in his dreams. He can taste her skin and his fingers remember her curves, his ears hear her moans and his body long to feel hers connected to his. He dwells over if he should tell her friends about her or not. Upon arriving at the hospital he walks straight to Dr Webber's office. His co-workers stare at his nose but he just stares back. Dr Webbers assistant Patricia calls him through and he enters after a short knock on the door.  
"So how did the consult go?" Richard asks before looking up.  
"Very well sir."  
"What happened to you?" he asks studying the brace over Derek's nose.  
"Meredith Grey happened" Derek smiles.  
"Meredith did that?"  
"Yeah, I said something inappropriate and she broke my nose."  
"How is she?"  
"She is very well. I'm here to ask you to reoffer her a fellowship in neurosurgery."  
"I would like her to come but right now I would much rather prefer Dr Harrington to accept the offer. You know the woman doing the virus trial. Did you meet Dr Harrington?"  
"Yes I did" Derek answers with a smirk.  
"How is she?"  
"Feisty, very feisty and it is OK if she accepts instead of Dr Grey."  
"It is? I thought you had a personal agenda asking for Grey."  
"I have, but I will be content if Dr Harrington accepts."  
"There is something here that you are not telling me."  
"Is there sir?"  
"Is Meredith breaking your nose a secret?" Richard asks when Derek is to turn the door knob.  
"I would prefer if it is sir."  
"What is it you're not telling me?"  
"Who was Dr Ellis Grey before she married?" Derek asks before leaving the office.  
Within five minutes Richard has solved the riddle and made a new offer to Dr Harrington Grey.  
Derek passes the nurses head quarters on his way to his office. Rose, a nurse he asked out a couple of times steps up with a worried look.  
"What happened to your nose?"  
"I broke it."  
"How?"  
"I ran into something."  
"Poor man, do want me to take a closer look tonight?" she asks with a seductive smile.  
"Not tonight Rose. I'm tired."

A month later he can finally throw the nose brace and there is still no call from Meredith. He has spoken to Mark several times and been told every time that she has not asked for his phone number. He wants to call her but don't want her to get her mad. After another month he asks Rose out for a new dinner date and takes her to bed. Imagining it is Meredith the whole time ending up feeling like a manwhore. He has not told Meredith's old friends that he met Meredith in New York and dwells in his own misery. Mark tells him about Meredith every time they speak but not about where she'll be doing her fellowship or why she is not calling him.

**Seattle August 2009**

Meredith hesitates before entering Seattle Grace Hospital. This is it, this is my decision; now let's see everyones reaction. She walks straight to the appointed conference room and waits for Dr Richard Webber outside the door. They have spoken on the phone several times the last couple of months and he is the only person in Seattle knowing about her arrival today.

Dr Webber looks around the table at some of his surgeons. They are all curious to this meeting.  
"Why are we here sir?" Dr Bailey asks.  
"One of our new surgeons has asked for this meeting with the five of you. Wait here please."  
He walks out through the door and finds a very nervous Meredith outside.  
"It will be OK" he promises giving her a big hug before wrapping an arm around her shoulders leading her in behind the sitting surgeons.  
"I would like to reintroduce our neurosurgeon Dr Meredith Harrington Grey."  
They all sit there staring at her.  
"Meredith?"  
She gives them all a small smile, afraid to look at them. The first to react is Dr Bailey who jumps up and wraps her arms around her former intern.  
"You look well Dr Grey, I'm happy to have you back."  
"Thank you Dr Bailey" Meredith whispers while hugging her back.  
George is next to walk up and gives her a quick hug.  
"Nice to see you" he says curtly before leaving the room.  
Cristina is next and she just looks at her, nods and leaves with a short:  
"So you're back."  
Izzy is crying and Meredith turns to her and says.  
"I'm so sorry for not being here for you, but I'm so grateful that you survived impossible odds."  
"How do you know that I've been sick?"  
"I was told a couple of months ago."  
Alex wraps an arm around her and asks."  
"Are you going to stay this time?"  
"Yes, I've chosen to do that."  
"See you around Grey. Give O'Malley and Cristina some time and they will come around."  
"I have really missed you and I'm not happy with you leaving without a word but I want us to be friends again" Izzy says giving her a hug before leaving together with Alex.  
"That went well" she commented when she and Dr Webber were alone in the room.  
"They will come around all of them. They were just chocked. Give them time."

Derek is running late on a trauma page since the ferryboats are on strike. When he arrives at the ER he is told that the patient is already in surgery.  
"How can that be? It is a craniotomy, right?"  
"Yes sir" the trauma nurse answers. "The new fellow in neurosurgery got it."  
"New neurosurgeon, I thought no one accepted?"  
"Oh no, we got one that started this morning" O'Malley says with a smirk when he realizes that Shepherd doesn't know.  
"I'll better get up there and check it out."  
"You do that sir."  
Derek hurries to change into scrubs before running by the nurse in charge asking for the OR. Of course it is the OR with no attached scrub room so he washes up in the hallway sink before entering the OR in a rush to stop dead inside the door. It can't be, but it is. She is really here in his OR.  
"Dr Grey or is it Dr Harrington?" he asks when he caught his breathe again.  
"Dr Grey will do Dr Shepherd" she answers looking up from her work.  
"You accepted, you are here as our new fellow in neurosurgery?"  
"Yes, if not I shouldn't be working inside this brain, Dr Shepherd."  
He steps up on her left side leaving her in charge of the surgery.  
"Dr Shepherd" Nurse Rose says "will you be doing this surgery?"  
"No, this is Dr Grey's surgery."  
"Derek, do you want to…" she continues trying to mark territory.  
"No Nurse Rose, I won't. This is not a social event but work, stay professional."  
Meredith looks between the two of them. Sensing that there is something or has been something between them. Let's be two against one she thinks with a small smile.  
Derek is in total chock and does still not comprehend that Meredith has accepted and Richard has kept it a secret for months.  
"Why didn't Richard tell me that you were coming?"  
"I asked him not to" she simply answers, making the last stitches.  
Derek is just looking at her with a huge smile behind his mask.  
"Thank you everyone for your good work. It has been a pleasure working with you" she says as she steps back.  
At the door she quickly drops her gown and gloves in the bin before exiting into the hallway to scrub out. Derek is following her like a puppy. He lets his eyes sweep over her petit body. Something is wrong. They quickly dry their hands and when Rose walks up towards them Meredith asks him.  
"Can I speak with you in private?"  
"Sure, let's go to my office." He leads the way one step ahead of her without giving Rose a glance. At his door he lets her pass and then he sees it, the bump on her stomach.  
"Derek, I have something to tell you."  
"Yeah, did Mark start here as well?"  
"Mark, yes and Laura as well they are engaged, but that is not want I want to talk about."  
"But you're…"  
"Oh, it is not his. I have never had unprotected sex with him and not any at all since you were in New York" she realizes what he asks when he keeps staring at her stomach.  
"Oh"  
"I made a decision to move back to Seattle, when I decided to keep your baby."  
"Mine?"  
"I'm four month pregnant. You were in New York in the end of March. You are a brain-surgeon. You can do the math."  
He just stares at her as a huge smile starts to grow on his face.  
"You are pregnant with our baby and you are here to stay?" he whispers wrapping his arms around her.  
She nods but stays silent for a minute looking into his sparkling blue eyes.  
"I love you Derek Shepherd and I have decided to choose you."  
"That is the best decision I've ever heard. I love you Meredith Grey."

**The End**

**~mcanna~**


End file.
